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The Mark of Caïn

Sailing ships, stars, angels and executioners — The Mark of Cain chronicles the vanishing practice and language of Russian Criminal Tattoos. Captured in some of Russia’s most notorious prisons, including the fabled White Swan, the film traces the animus of the flowers of this carnal art by way of the brutality of its origins- the penitentiary and the criminal environment. Incisive interviews with prisoners, guards, and criminologists reveal the secret language of The Zone and The Code of Thieves of the vory v zakone. As early as the 1920′s, Russian prisons and Gulag began to attract the attention of researchers. The prisoners of the Stalinist Gulag, or “Zone,” as it is called, developed a complex social structure that incorporated highly symbolic tattooing as a mark of rank. The very existence of these inmates at prisons and forced labor camps was treated by the state as a deep secret, and their tattoo art was considered a forbidden topic.

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  1. good see great time .General trust the high the condition we are today general way..

  2. Anyone who knows the name of the intro-song?

  3. Very interesting .Atleast these prisoners can smoke or keep cats! Obviously there’s no dental care!

  4. very interesting, the conditions are horrific. very interesting about tattoos though.

  5. Prisons shouldn’t exist. A huge number of them will never rehabilitate, something more drastic should be done…

  6. It’s like they became immune to the pain. Physically and emotionally. Incredible.

  7. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  8. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  9. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  10. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  11. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  12. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  13. Woah this video is an incredible look into the meaning behind russian tattoos.

  14. There is so many dirty people in prison 😀

    Don’t you think?

    😀 😀 😀

  15. not really anything about tattoos…more about how crappy prison is :/ wasnt impressed

    • What are you talking about? There was lots and lots of mention of tattoos. All the guys explaining what it means and how its a hierachy among prisoners. Your an idiot. Pfft!

    • What are you talking about? There was lots and lots of mention of tattoos. All the guys explaining what it means and how its a hierachy among prisoners. Your an idiot. Pfft!

    • What are you talking about? There was lots and lots of mention of tattoos. All the guys explaining what it means and how its a hierachy among prisoners. Your an idiot. Pfft!

  16. not really anything about tattoos…more about how crappy prison is :/ wasnt impressed